Polaritonic states in a dielectric nanoguide: localization and strong coupling

Propagation of light through dielectrics lies at the heart of optics. However, this ubiquitous process is commonly described using phenomenological dielectric function $\varepsilon$ and magnetic permeability $\mu$, i.e. without addressing the quantum graininess of the dielectric matter. Here, we present a theoretical study where we consider a one-dimensional ensemble of atoms in a subwavelength waveguide (nanoguide) as fundamental building blocks of a model dielectric. By exploring the roles of the atom-waveguide coupling efficiency, density, disorder, and dephasing, we establish connections among various features of polaritonic light-matter states such as localization, super and subradiance, and strong coupling. In particular, we show that coherent multiple scattering of light among atoms that are coupled via a single propagating mode can gives rise to Rabi splitting. These results provide important insight into the underlying physics of strong coupling reported by recent room-temperature experiments with microcavities and surface plasmons.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Diverse Weighted Bipartite b-Matching

Bipartite matching, where agents on one side of a market are matched to agents or items on the other, is a classical problem in computer science and economics, with widespread application in healthcare, education, advertising, and general resource allocation. A practitioner's goal is typically to maximize a matching market's economic efficiency, possibly subject to some fairness requirements that promote equal access to resources. A natural balancing act exists between fairness and efficiency in matching markets, and has been the subject of much research. In this paper, we study a complementary goal---balancing diversity and efficiency---in a generalization of bipartite matching where agents on one side of the market can be matched to sets of agents on the other. Adapting a classical definition of the diversity of a set, we propose a quadratic programming-based approach to solving a supermodular minimization problem that balances diversity and total weight of the solution. We also provide a scalable greedy algorithm with theoretical performance bounds. We then define the price of diversity, a measure of the efficiency loss due to enforcing diversity, and give a worst-case theoretical bound. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of our methods on three real-world datasets, and show that the price of diversity is not bad in practice

LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED TEACHER CANDIDATES

This paper reports on findings of a qualitative study that explored the experiences, needs and challenges of internationally educated teacher candidates (IETCs) in a large metropolitan university in Canada. Interviews were conducted with IETCs as well as the teacher educator working with them. Findings revealed that IETCs required additional support in developing their oral and written communication skills and cultural knowledge for teaching in Canadian classrooms. The pedagogical implications of these findings for IETCs, for teacher educators and educational institutions are discussed.

Diverse teachers for diverse students: Internationally educated and Canadian-born teachers’ preparedness to teach English language learners

This article describes a study that examines Canadian-born and internationally educated teachers’ (IETs’) self-perceived preparedness to teach English language learners (ELLs). The study employed a survey and interviews to examine teacher candidates’: (a) level of empathy with ELLs, (b) sense of preparedness to teach ELLs, and (c) beliefs about their roles and responsibilities in multilingual classrooms. The study also explores the impact of teacher preparation to teach in multilingual classrooms. Findings suggest that IETs have a higher selfperceived empathy towards ELLs due to their shared backgrounds but personal experiences and empathy are insufficient for providing support and targeted instruction for ELLs. All teachers, regardless of their backgrounds, require appropriate preparation to address the needs of ELLs.Keywords: diversity, ELLs, multilingual classrooms, internationally educated teachers, preparednessCet article traite d’une étude examinant la perception qu’ont les enseignants Canadiens formés hors du pays quant à leur préparation adéquate à enseigner l’anglais comme langue seconde (ALS) au Canada. L’étude se base sur une enquête et des entrevues auprès des futurs professeurs qui examinent (a) leur niveau d'empathie vis-à-vis des étudiants d’ALS, (b) leur perception quant à leur préparation professionnelle (c) et leurs croyances quant à leurs rôles et leurs responsabilités dans les salles de classe multilingues. Cette étude explore également l’impact qu’a la formation professionnelle de l’enseignant dans les salles de classes multilingues. Les données révèlent que les enseignants formés hors du Canada sympathisent davantage avec leurs étudiants d’ALS compte tenu de leur expérience commune d’immigré, mais que cela ne signifie pas forcément qu’ils soient mieux à même de répondre aux besoins de formation des apprenants d’ALS.Mots-clés: diversité, anglais langue seconde, salles de classe multilingues, enseignants formés hors du Canada, préparation professionnell

Optical tracing of multiple charges in single-electron devices

Single molecules that exhibit narrow optical transitions at cryogenic temperatures can be used as local electric-field sensors. We derive the single charge sensitivity of aromatic organic dye molecules, based on first principles. Through numerical modeling, we demonstrate that by using currently available technologies it is possible to optically detect charging events in a granular network with a sensitivity better than $10^{-5}e/\sqrt{\textrm{Hz}}$ and track positions of multiple electrons, simultaneously, with nanometer spatial resolution. Our results pave the way for minimally-invasive optical inspection of electronic and spintronic nanodevices and building hybrid optoelectronic interfaces that function at both single-photon and single-electron levels.Comment: 7 pages, submitted to Physical Revie